


Saudade

by okamiisadog



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Bad Gaster, Bittersweet Ending, Child Abuse, Gaster Blaster AU, Gaster Blaster Papyrus, Gaster Blaster Sans, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Abuse, Other, Self Harm, abandonment au, baby blasters, babybones AU, back story, warning ;
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 12:14:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okamiisadog/pseuds/okamiisadog
Summary: "it was his happiness, or his brother's freedom. 1-s would always choose the safety and freedom of his brother over his own. And with that, 1-s left the babybones at the monster's door. "





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> saudade--  
> yearning for something/someone who is not there 
> 
>  
> 
> i know there's a lot of stories like this, but there is never too much baby blasters. so, this is my take on their past! baby blaster au is by @spacegate

It was quiet in waterfalls. 

 

The light cycle controlled by magic had made the monster's world darker, the signal for night. Most were asleep by now. The two skeletal beasts roaming the trash heaps were not. The older of the two carried the smaller by the ragged clothes he was dressed in, keeping the littler one out of the water that was all too quickly becoming cold. 

The blasters had been staying in these waters for not too long. This place, while it had many places to hide, had too many monsters. And not enough food. Almost everything 1-s found was given to the toddler--- the gnawing hunger was getting worse by the day. 2-p was beginning to feel the effects of it too. The pup's crying was a horrible noisy thing that could very well be their end if a monster were to hear and follow it. It hurt, to see his brother suffer. 

It was why the older blaster did everything in his power to free them. 

The day they escaped had been a rush, everything blurred from the wild, all consuming fear of being caught. There had been a kind monster, one that opened the outside to them, that was what he could most clearly recall. 'That' place had been bad, everything the White coats did had hurt. It was better out here, even if he hurt, even if they were so, so hungry. 

The monsters that visited this strange place had yet to spot them, but 1-s knew their luck was running out. If they were spotted, they'd be taken back. 

 

They couldn't go back.

 

That meant they couldn't stay here, either. 1-s was headed towards the cold, shuddering in the water but unwilling to get on the path that monsters traveled on out of fear of being spotted. The skeletal beast trots through the mud, that slowly becomes slushier underfoot before the wetness is replaced with the frozen ground. White blankets the world in front of them, both pups are stunned quite by the openness of it. 

' What Are?' 2-p questioned, gesturing to the towering things that grew from the ground. 1-s didn't know the answer, which the smaller wasn't pleased about. 1-s hurried forward into the forest, away from the scent of the road many monsters traveled. It doesn't take too long for the fussy puppy to struggle, demanding to be put down. 1-s dropped the toddler carefully, who proceeded to bound forward into the coldness. 

 

The forest was quiet. The only sounds were the crunch of snow under their boney paws, and the occasional excited yip of his brother's. When the older brother felt they were far from the place they had left, he began to search for a nest. The towers things provided no warm, nothing to hide inside. With little other choice, 1-s dug into the snow. Deep, deeper, deep enough to crawl inside and curl up with the smaller pup. 

He would have to search for food tomorrow. For now, 1-s and 2-p needed rest. It wasn't very warm, at first, inside the snow. But their combined magics warmed up the enclosed space slowly. 2-p curled up, pressed against his side, shudders slowly stopping as the larger kept the cold at bay. 

 

 

\-------------------------

 

 

The next day came all too soon. 

It was cold. 1-s struggled to wake, something that was becoming ever harder to do. 2-p whined at him, sharp little claws digging into his bones. 

' Please? Hungryy' the puppy whined, a cry that was becoming all too common. 

' ok. wait here, ok?' 1-s sighed, before he shifted to his bipedal form. The ragged clothes he was wearing would only get in the way, it would be better used in their nest as warmth. His brother would get cold, while he was away. 2-p dramatically sighed, but didn't dare to disagree. 

 

They both knew first-hand what kind of damage a monster could cause. 

 

The child crawled from their nest, sending a cautious glance around the area to make sure they were alone. No one. Not even a scent of another soul. Good. 1-s shifted once more before he took off at a quick pace. He wasn't sure where he was headed. He didn't know this place. But, where there were monsters, there was bound to be food. 

 

The blaster ran back to the road and followed the path that was frequently traveled, careful to not get too close in case someone appeared. Bright lights lit up the building ahead, 1-s darted into the forest beside the little town. There were monsters on the streets, unknowing of the eyelights observing them. 

Something smelled... good. Good enough to remind him of how achingly empty he felt. 

It was coming from one of the buildings. He was cautious and followed the scent from the cover of the trees. It led him to a long building, with strange metal objects lining the wall. The smell was coming from these? Another glance confirmed he was alone. Without further hesitation the child knocked the can over- the loud clattered made him flinch and dart for the woods. 1-s was too desperate to give up though, he waited to see if anyone would come.

No one did. He crept forward. Still no one. The blaster's claws easily tore open the plastic, he nosed through the contents. There were things that smelled edible- he grabbed those in his mouth, as much as he could, before he darted out of the alley and followed his own tracks back. Joy warmed his soul at the fruitful search, fueling his run. Soon, he returned to their nest- panting and shuddering, but excited. 

 

It was enough for tonight and perhaps the next day. That was all that mattered. 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------  
\----------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

1-s was worried. 2-p was very, very ill. 

 

It had been a few light cycles since they came to this new place. There was more food here than in the dumps, the blaster would leave to retrieve something when he felt it was safe to go. What little food 1-s could gather went straight to his brother, but.. the younger skeleton was struggling to eat. Too tired to, too weak to. 2-p had coughing spells, and now spent most of his time asleep. 

His brother was so weak, so tired that he couldn't stay awake for long. 

 

1-s was terrified. He didn't know what to do. At first, 1-s increased his search of supplies, even daring to retrace his steps back to waterfall in hopes of finding more fabric to keep his brother warm. He had come back with a long, tattered red fabric, but only once had he found something able to be used. But when 2-p took a turn for the worst, the child knew he had to bring his brother somewhere warmer. 

The first thing that came to mind was the labs. But that wasn't a choice. His brother would never go through that pain again, his brother would never feel any of the pain he went through. They were never going back there. The only other thing he could think of was the building that sometimes had food. It was warm. It had food. It was near monsters, but if they made a new nest underneath the large can, the monsters wouldn't find them. 

It was the only hope he had. 1-s wrapped the other the best he could in all of their fabrics before he dragged 2-p out of the nest and into his arms. The older child was far from free of illnesses grasp, he shuddered all the time, he coughed, but he wasn't as bad off as his brother. He would have to carry his brother like this until they got closer to town, where he would need as much speed on his side as possible. 

It was a long journey over. His body could hardly hold his own frail weight, let alone his brother's. But he preserved, determined to save his brother. The snow was falling heavily by the time they reached the town, but at least the cold chased away any monsters from the street. 1-s walked slow, attempting to keep his brother balanced on his back. 

They finally reached the alley. 1-s sighed in relief, carefully rolling the toddler off his back to drag him underneath the dumpster. The heat of the garbage made it almost humid, warmer than the outside. 2-p let out a soft sigh, snuggling closer to his side. He took that as a good sign. 

 

\--------------------------------------  
\--------------------------------------

 

Grillby was exhausted from a long day at work. 

The fire monster was cleaning up for the day, almost dreading the fact he had to throw out the garbage. Grillby knew that there was a very strong chance that he would have to clean it up the next morning. Recently, for the past couple of weeks, there had been some sort of animal knocking over the trash cans in the alley beside his restaurant. 

 

The alley was clean today, either meaning whatever was digging in the trash hadn't yet arrived, or it wasn't going to. The fire monster approached the dumpster, but froze when he heard something strange. He held his breath and listened- the sound was heard again. Coughing? There was no one else in the alley with him, unless.... 

Reluctantly, the fire monster got on his knees to peer underneath the dumpster. His natural light lit up the small area underneath. A pair of glowing eyelights stared straight into his own- terrified. A skeletal creature, looking a cross of canine and dragon, stared him down, tiny fangs bared. A too small child laid still next to it, arms wrapped around the pup's ribcage. 

To say he was shocked was an understatement. 

" Oh my stars" Grillby gawked. The creature growled at his voice, neon blue magic lighting up it's eyelights in a manner that was meant to be threatening. Something so small was hardly scary. 

" shhh... its okay pup. Are you lost? Why are you down here?" Grillby asked, attempting to sooth the little thing. In truth, he didn't know if it understood. It was surreal, even more so that he couldn't see it entirely. Whatever the story was, it could be discovered later. 

 

That child wasn't going to last long outside, he needed to get them somewhere safe. The creature didn't give any sign of understanding-- it made a strange hiss-click growl when he moved closer. When the fire monster tried to reach underneath, the creature bit down on his arm. Grillby flinched at the unexpected pain, worsened when it shook it's head. When it let go to cough, the fire monster yanked his arm back. 

It seemed he needed a different strategy... The fire monster stood. He couldn't push the dumpster on his own, the wheels were frozen, but what he could do was get something a little more... bite proof. The oven mitts would work... if he was fast, he'd get back before it could run. 

 

Or so he thought. Despite running himself, the evidence was there. Tracks in the snow, leading out into the woods. Dread filled him as he checked under the dumpster. The child was gone as well. 

Dammit. God dammit. 

 

The bar-tender returned inside, and headed straight for the phone. The Royal Guard could help, that much was certain. A missing child case was definitely a priority, even more so in this weather. Grillby just hoped the poor thing would live long enough for help to arrive. 

 

\------------------------

 

A missing child case was a big deal. A very big deal. The Royal Guard in Snowdin talked of it nonstop, of the skeletal child and beast that Grillby had seen. It was no wonder that word of His experiments' location soon reached Gaster. While it was quite the hassle that those weapons caused, Gaster wasn't too worried. 

They would be all too easy to get back. 

 

\----------------------------------------  
\----------------------------------------

 

1-s laid in the snow. 

 

He was exhausted. It was hard to move. He had tried to use his magic to warm his brother, but it did little to help. 2-p still wasn't waking. The snow was falling harder by the minute. The child had been on death's door before.... they were going to die out here, weren't they? 

Maybe it was for the better. 

 

They were just experiments. Weapons. No one would miss them, and no one could hurt them. The blaster snuggled close to his brother, ready to just give up... when he felt a horrifyingly familiar magic. 

 

The Doctor. The Doctor was coming after them. The monster would catch them, the monster would- would bring them back there. Back to the endless pain. 

 

1-s shot to his feet with energy he didn't know he had left. The blaster grabbed his brother, running toward the town with little plan. His brother needed to be safe. There was no where else he could think of. That one monster, the warm one he bit, they had seemed... not terrible. They hadn't yelled or hurt, even when he hurt them.

 

That monster was his only hope. 

 

It's on the doorstep that 1-s realizes the flaw in his plan. The Doctor would track him down, regardless of where he was. The plate drilled into his arm made sure of that. He had to make a choice. Leave his brother in hope that he wouldn't be hurt, or bring him back to the bad place. 

It was his happiness, or his brother's freedom. 

1-s would always choose the safety and freedom of his brother's over his own. And with that, 1-s left the baby bones on the monster's door.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been several years since Grillby had found the bundle of bones abandoned on his doorstep. 

 

There had been no missing children cases, and certainly none for skeleton children. But if the starved and scarred state of the toddler meant anything, it was that whatever home he had had was not one to go back to. Without a second thought, he had adopted the little monster. It was sad, horrible, how Papyrus had used to cry for the missing brother of his. And how Grillby only understood who he was calling for when the babybones first shifted into his other form. 

They never found the other child. 

 

 

Papyrus was around ten years old, now. His son was bright, energetic, outgoing- an optimist, despite whatever dark past his child had had. Papyrus didn't remember much of it, the combination of being too young and trauma made his memory of his younger years gone, but what he did remember affected him. Papyrus would have off days, where he would stare into nothing, where he would cry seemingly without reason, where he would lie underneath his bed in his other form and mourn the sibling he could hardly remember. The sibling that was, realistically, dead. Lost in those woods forever, dust scattered in the snow- never to have a proper funeral, it the kid had ever had anything they liked. The kid Grillby might of been able to save, if only he acted faster. 

 

Therapy helped them both, but the loss of life wasn't something either could quite deal with. 

 

 

" Bye Dad! I'm Off To School!" Papyrus yelled from the front door of their home. Before he had adopted Papyrus, the fire monster had lived in the back of his restaurant. It had worked for a little while while Papyrus was still a toddler, but his son was an energetic kid who needed plenty of space to run around in. 

" Have a good day, Papyrus" He smiled at his son's bright expression. 

" You Too!" Papyrus exclaimed, before he shut the door behind him. 

\----------------  
\----------------

 

Papyrus hummed to himself as he made his way toward school.

It was nice outside today, as nice as the weather ever got in Snowdin. It wasn't snowing today, and was as warm as Snowdin could be, which meant the residents of their little town didn't need to bundle up as much. 

Papyrus liked the town, he liked the kind residents. He loved his warm home, how his dad was always happy to see him. And while school was sometimes difficult, and the other kids were sometimes mean, he liked going to school too. 

He was glad that his dad decided to take him in. 

Papyrus didn't remember much from his life before, only bits and pieces. He could remember pain and cold, but he could also remember the comforting presence of another. Another blaster, his sibling, the only feature he could remember was their owlish sockets. Whenever he had a dream of them, it made his soul feel warmer, but the feeling was gone the minute he woke to find himself alone. 

Papyrus wondered what happened to them, 'blue', nicknamed after the color of his magic. His dad had told him, once, that Blue was probably dead. 

 

With a frown, he shook the thought from mind. That couldn't be true. The skeleton would know, deep in his soul, if his brother was dead. Well, he wouldn't let these thoughts weigh him down! Papyrus wanted to have a good day at school. With a slightly faster pace, he hurried toward school. 

 

 

\------------------------------------------

 

 

School had been boring, today. 

 

There had been nothing to do! Papyrus finished the english assignment early, and instead of more work, the teacher gave the entire class the day off once they finished! The skeleton waited as anxiously for the bell to ring as the other students, just wanting to go home. There was things to do there, more to learn from his books! 

The bell rang, the sound a bit muffled as most of the residents of Snowdin had sensitive ears, him included. The students walked outside, many of the other monster children had their parents or siblings waiting for them, but not him. It wasn't that his dad wouldn't come! His dad had used to come to pick him up until he was old enough to walk home and back, and only stopped coming when Papyrus assured him he was fine walking alone. He was! His dad was very busy with his job, and he wasn't a babybones. He could walk himself home. 

 

Papyrus shifted forms before he bounded into the woods. 

This form was much better for running long distances, one he preferred to run home in, even if the way the book-filled bag bounced against his back was painful. It was nice to stretch his legs too, after having to sit for so long. The blaster was almost home when a strange scent caught his attention. 

It smelled... coppery? 

That was strange. It almost smelled like metal, if it weren't for the unnaturalness to it. 

 

The smell was all too familiar. Papyrus had been hurt before, while playing with his best friend, Undyne. They had been playing in the dump at waterfalls, and he had taken a bad tumble- something sharp had cut him on the way down. Bright red, practically glowing, marrow had spilled from the deep wound, and it had smelled exactly like this. 

Wrong. Sickening. 

 

But he wasn't hurt. So what was? Papyrus cautiously followed the scent away from the usual trail he took home, soul thrumming faster in his chest. He wasn't scared! He- he just.... Maybe he was a bit scared. He didn't know what he expected to find, but the sight that met him was nothing like it.

Someone was sprawled in the snow. 

 

Concern flared in his soul, he raced up to them without a second thought. 

" Are You--" 

Papyrus froze. The stranger was another skeleton, another blaster. Bare-boned, a bit smaller and with thinner bones, and undoubtedly another blaster. Bright marrow stained the snow around them in a slow-growing puddle, the pup noticed the trail of marrow that led from where they were collapsed to where they had been hurt. 

Papyrus knew immediately he needed to get help. 

 

They may of both been puppies, but this form wasn't exactly small. Papyrus's back came to his dad's hip-level, and he wasn't near full grown yet. He couldn't carry them in his two-legged form, and dragging would do more harm than good. 

"I- I'll Be Right Back! Don't Move!!" He barked, unknowing of whether or not he could hear him in the state he was in, but felt the need to inform them anyway. 

 

Papyrus took off into the woods, faster than he could ever remember running before.


	3. Chapter 3

The bar was filled with its normal chatter. 

 

There were only a few patrons in at the moment, as most monster's lunch break had been an hour or two ago. Some monsters' schedules were odd, however, and they came after the typical rush hour. Today the canine unit had missed their usual breakfast, and were currently enjoying a late meal at their table. 

Grillby took advantage of the peace to do some cleaning-- dusting the dropped food and crumbs into the trashcan, wiping down tables, ditching dishes in the sink to deal with later. Normal things the fire monster did on such a regular business day. 

 

The front door of the restaurant slamming open was a normal occurrence, too. 

 

" DAD!!" 

The near-scream was, surprisingly, normal too. Papyrus was a naturally loud person, but he was getting better with using an 'inside voice'. Grillby turned, about to politely ask him to use said voice, when he noticed the very unusual look on his son's face. Terrified. 

"What happened?" His tone caught the attention of those present. Did something happen at school? Did someone try to hurt Papyrus?

" SOMEONE'S HURT!" Papyrus yelled. The Dogi shot to their feet, Dogressa stilled Grillby by putting a paw on his shoulder. 

"Could you close down the bar? We'll bring them back here" She informed, a concerned expression on her face. While Grillby was no doctor, he was who monsters came to in healing emergencies. Green magic and cooking went hand-in-hand, and the fire monster was alright at healing. He could heal enough to keep someone stable until a real medic arrived, or stable enough to be moved to a healer. 

The fire monster nodded, reluctant, but he knew the Dogi wouldn't let anything happen to his son, or the wounded monster. The other monsters present were already clearing out, having heard the conversation. After he flipped the sign to "Closed", Grillby prepared the back for whoever was expected. 

 

 

\----------------------

 

 

 

As soon as the Dogs were outside, Papyrus shifted once more into his four-legged form and took off into the woods. 

The canines followed, just as quick on their fours as he was. The skeleton followed his own prints back, quick as he was to get to the bar. Soon, he returned to where he left the other blaster- he was still there, ribcage hardly moving with his shallow, quick breaths. 

Papyrus heard the brief gasps of shock, at the sight of another blaster, before they snapped out of it and approached. 

" Poor dear. I think their leg is broken, but theres so much dirt....." Dogressa trailed off, paw hovering anxiously over the child. She wanted to help, but the poor pup was too dirt-covered to tell where the injuries were. There were so many questions, but no answers. How was there another? Would they know Papyrus? How did this pup get so injured?

Just looking at their current state, where ever they had come from did not paint a good picture. 

 

Greater kneeled down by her side, giving her a questioning whine. She nodded, gesturing to her mate to help get the poor thing into Greater's hold without hurting them. Once the child was in the canine's arms, their pack hurried back to Grillby's bar. 

Papyrus reached the destination first, though the others were not far behind. He held the door open for them, since Greater's arms were a bit full. Would he be alright? Was Papyrus too late to help what could very well be his older brother? The child tried to follow the group to the back, but Dogressa stopped him. 

" I know you're worried, hun, but you need to stay in here, alright? We'll send Greater and Lesser back here so you're not alone" She informed him. Papyrus wanted to protest, but he kept quiet. He knew he wouldn't be much help, despite how he wanted to. Papyrus nodded, heading over to the bar to take a seat, and anxiously wait for his brother to get better.

 

\--------------------------

 

Once Greater had set the child down on the spread blanket, he and Lesser headed out to sit with his son. Those two didn't have much healing experience, and were good at keeping others calm. They would be more help out there. 

 

To say Grillby was shocked was an understatement. 

He had never expected-- he had thought this child was dead. But here they were, "blue". He..... didn't look well. Dirty, clearly injured, and found bare-boned in the forest. Grillby knew just from looking at the blaster that they needed a professionals' help with the healing. He would do the best he could, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. 

" Dogamy, could you call an emergency doctor?" he asked, the dog nodded before he raced for the phone. The profession for being a medic was popular in the Underground, seeing as so many needed help. Emergencies were, unfortunately, all too common in the underground. Doctors were busy, but there was bound to be someone who was able to come, certainly for a severely injured child. 

The fire monster got up, heading to the kitchen to get some supplies he hadn't thought he needed. He filled one of the kitchen bowls with water, careful to put the waterproof gloves on first to avoid water-burns, along with a few rags to clean with. Those wounds needed to be cleaned, if not entirely, then enough to be able to access the damage. 

" What do you need me to do, Grillby?" Dogressa questioned. The fire monster passed one rag to her, thankful for the help. The water got disgusting quickly, but they cleaned enough to be able to see the injuries. 

If they thought it was bad before, it was even worse seeing it. Blue's front leg was broken, several of his ribs were severely cracked, there were many scratches on his bones, and the magical version of 'bruises' littered his bones. 

But that was just the physical injuries. 

 

The child was far too light, especially for this form. His breathing was shallow, too fast, unable to breathe well from either the broken ribs, or a deep-sitting illness, or perhaps even both. Where the hell had this child been? Had... had the child gone back, to wherever he and his son came from? It was sickening to think someone could neglect a child to this point, If there ever was guardians to begin with. 

" Grillby.... the child's very cold" Dogamy's voice caught his attention, " could you keep them warm while we wait for the Doctor? Dr. Cotton said they should be here soon." 

The fire monster wrapped the blanket the child was lying on around them, and pulled the skeletal beast into his lap the best of his ability. He used his magic to warm them up, trying to fight off the unnatural mix of heat and chill in the pup's bones. Dogamy attempted to use healing magic on the ribs, but there was little he could do as the bones weren't yet set- and the way the magic avoided the cracked leg and scratches, it seemed that the wounds were infected. The poor kid....The Medic really needed to arrive soon. Dr. Cotton had been in waterfalls when Dogamy called, so at least they wouldn't take too long to get here. 

 

 

" I remember you filed a missing child case.... do you think this is them?" Dogamy spoke up, breaking the tense silence. 

" I do believe so" Grillby confirmed. There was little doubt that this was the child he'd seen underneath the dumpster. He had grown since the last time, and though he was smaller than Papyrus, that could be easily explained by his poor health. But how, exactly, did he get like this? They'd only know when the child woke. 

 

It was a major relief when Dr. Cotton showed up. The rabbit monster held a bag filled with medical supplies, and offered them a tense smile as they joined their group. 

" Could you lay them down? I'll need to see the injuries" Dr. Cotton instructed. The Dogi helped him adjust the child back onto the ground before unwrapping the blankets. He was left shuddering without the warmed blankets, panting in an attempt to get enough air. The rabbit gently grabs the broken limb, frowning down at the injury. 

" Hm..... Did you find him in waterfalls? The kid's really muddy" They commented, setting the limb down as they retrieved magic-laced bandages from their bag. 

" No. Papyrus found him in the woods, but there was a trail leading toward waterfalls" Dogressa informed, perhaps he had come from there? Someone might of seen the pup. 

" I'm going to set the bones, could you hold him still?" The rabbit monster questioned. Grillby held his head, while the Dogi restrained the hind-legs. It was very unlikely that the pup would wake, but he'd still react to the brief pain of the broken bones being shifted back into place. 'Blue' gave a choked whine, still able to feel the pain while unconscious. The pitiful sound earned sympathy whines from the Dogi, Grillby's soul ached in concern. It had to hurt. Who knew how long the poor kid had been injured.

Dr. Cotton wrapped the limb carefully, along with his ribcage. When they grabbed an empty syringe out of a fresh box, Grillby stopped them. 

" Oh, sorry. The wounds look infected? I-I just going to inject them with some medicine that should help clear that up" they informed him, easing whatever worries he may of had. They grabbed the child's leg once more, but oddly, they flinched when the needle entered the bone. Dr. Cotton looked horrified, leaning closer to get a better view of whatever they had seen. 

" O-oh my."

"...What is it?" Grillby questioned, concerned. 

" T-there are.... quite a lot of marks.. I-I think you're going to need to look into a-abuse" They stated, gesturing out the holes in his bones. 

" There might be, uh, other scars, but at the moment he's too dirty to see them. These injuries might be from... whatever Guardian he had before running away" 

 

That was what he had been fearing. It had been a very long time since the last abuse case in Snowdin, but not long enough. Whoever hurt and neglected a child to this point needed to be found. 

 

The Doctor did their best to heal what they could, but most of the wounds needed to heal on their own. After 'blue' had been bandaged, they wrapped the child back up in the blankets. 

" I'll bring some medicine for his fever later. Theres just one more thing to be done, before we're done here. I'm going to 'check' him" The rabbit informed, waiting for the Royal Guard to give permission. Checking was invasive, but necessary in situations such as this. With the child unable to give permission himself, and with no guardian yet, the Guards was the next best to ask. Of course, the Dogi nodded to give their permission. 

The rabbit monster flinched away from the child at the stats. Why were they scared of a child? 

" What's wrong?" Dogressa demanded. 

" H-his LV... He's LV 4" they moved away. Grillby couldn't blame them too much. LV was a frightening thing. But knowing that this child had killed... Perhaps they wouldn't have to look for whatever monster had done this. Grillby couldn't- wouldn't- judge the child before he knew their story. The Dogi seemed to be on his side with that. 

" The Royal Guard will look into it. For the meantime, what're you going to do with him, Grillby?" Dogressa questioned, taking him by surprise. But it made sense that they would ask him. 'Blue' was his son's brother. Of course, they were family now. There was no way Grillby would just let them be separated 

" I'll bring him home. He probably misses his brother" 

" I don't think that's a good idea. It's not safe to keep this child with another, regardless of them being siblings. He is too dangerous to be kept with normal monsters" Dr. Cotton protested, frowning at them with clear disapproval. Grillby returned the look. 

" Thank you for you help. I do believe we have it from here" He replied shortly. The rabbit monster held their tongue, not approving but also knowing it wasn't their place to input. Still...

"There are institutions that can help someone as troubled as this child. Just... think about it, alright?" Dr. Cotton was just concerned for the safety of others. 

" Everything will be fine. Thank you, Doctor" Dogressa assured, giving them a comforting smile. The rabbit monster nodded, before they grabbed their medical bags and left them. Grillby wouldn't judge this child without knowing the truth. He wouldn't judge his new son. 

But there still was the very real possibility that he was "Dangerous." Monsters weren't typically violent. The act of killing changed someone to their very core. The child had killed more than once, but there was still much unknown...

For now, there was no knowing. 

 

" Do you need any help getting him home?" Dogamy asked. The fire monster nodded, grateful for the offer. He probably couldn't hold the blaster on his own, despite his frail weight. The Dogi got up to retrieve the others, who were quick to join them. Papyrus hurried over, clearly concerned about his brother. 

" Is Blue Okay?" Papyrus questioned, grabbing his shirt anxiously as he watched Greater pick up his brother once more. 

" He... is a bit sick and hurt, but he'll be okay" Grillby reassured. Papyrus nodded, grabbing onto his dad's hand for comfort. Their group headed toward their home, Greater followed Grillby upstairs to set the blaster down on the guest bed. After making sure the skeleton was covered in blankets, he left the child alone- the door slightly cracked for him to be able to hear when they woke. 

" Take care, you two!" The dogi said their goodbyes before they left the two. 

 

 

 

 

 

Papyrus was still anxious about the situation, but he had an idea that would take his son's mind off of things. 

" I'm sure Blue is hungry. How about we make some soup?" He suggested. Papyrus's face lit up at the idea, and, predictably, beat him to the kitchen. Cooking was one of their shared hobbies, something that his son was very eager to learn. Papyrus was always excited to learn new recipes, though this wouldn't be too exciting. Grillby didn't know how ill Blue was, but soup was a good call. Healthy and with good healing properties, things desperately needed by the child now in his care. 

It was fairly easy to make, being mostly just broth. Papyrus carried the bowl as they returned upstairs, to the figure lying still on the bed. Grillby wasn't sure how awake he would be, but he could wake them up enough to accept food. 

" Could you please stand by the door?" Grillby asked. Just in case. Papyrus did so, though was a bit confused as to why. The fire monster attempted to coax Blue awake, but the child eventually stirs. His eyelights are hazy, struggling to focus on anything, but they eventually land on Grillby. 

" Shh, it's alright-!" He had reached out in an attempt to pet the blaster, but the child lashed out faster than he had thought he would be capable of. Blue's teeth dug into his arm only briefly, as the pup jerked away at the burning heat. The blaster growled at him, attempting to escape the blankets, but soon collapsed into a wet coughing fit. That didn't sound good. 

Papyrus ditched the bowl on the ground, careful not to spill, before he rushed over. The glowing eyelight focused on him- fierce, distant, terrified. His soul felt heavy with concern, Papyrus let out a soft, comforting trill to his brother. The other blaster froze, a flash of recognition passing by as he attempted to focus on his brother's skull. 

It was a major relief to Grillby, that the boy instantly trusted his younger brother. 

 

Blue gave up in his attempt to struggle, collapsing back down onto the bed. He didn't look too far from falling unconscious once more. Papyrus climbed on the bed beside his brother, careful as he pulled the other's skull into his lap and rested a hand against the elongated skull. The older child accepted the comfort, slowly growing less tense under his hand. 

 

It didn't seem like they'd be getting Blue to eat tonight, as the blaster soon slipped into unconsciousness once more. They would have to try again tomorrow. Grillby was a bit surprised to find how reluctant Papyrus was to leave his brother, but in honesty, it was expected. They had reunited after many years, there was no doubt that the two would be reluctant to be separated again. 

 

" Blue will be right here when you wake up, alright? It's not safe for you sleep in here" Grillby tried, though winced at his own words. Perhaps he believed the Doctor more than he had thought. 

Papyrus frowned up at him, disbelieving of his words. "Why Not? He's My Brother." 

" I know, paps, but he's..." Grillby couldn't say dangerous, he couldn't, " he's very sick. Blue might get you sick, too." 

Papyrus pouted, but offered not more resistance as he slowly removed himself from his brother. 

 

 

They would have plenty of time to get to know each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> paps knows a lot more than people think

It had been about two weeks since he'd adopted 'Blue'. 

 

For the first week, Papyrus had been allowed to stay home from school because of the 'Family emergency'. Though his son had been upset at having to go back, to leave his brother, the fire monster assured his son nothing would happen to Blue while he was gone. 

As for the restaurant, it had to be temporarily closed. Grillby couldn't go back and forth, he couldn't leave the two unsupervised, and he certainly couldn't leave a babysitter to watch the boys. He felt bad about it, but the citizens of Snowdin were very understanding. Family was an important thing to all monsters--- well, maybe not all. 

The ex-guardians of Papyrus and Blue certainly didn't think so. 

 

For the most part, Blue slept. The illness had taken its toll, but it wasn't as bad as he had originally feared. The child was slowly recovering with the help of the medicines that the Doctor had dropped off. Blue was... very odd, about medicine. Frightened. He had lashed out when Grillby had attempted to give him a spoonful. Despite the child's weak state, those claws had cut in deep-- the wound was still healing. It was Papyrus who had managed to convince his brother that it was safe by taking a half-spoonful, despite Grillby telling him not to. At least it had worked, and Papyrus hadn't gotten ill. 

 

Though, with the improvement of health, new issues came up. 

Blue didn't trust anyone (other than Papyrus). Plain and simple. 

Grillby wouldn't- couldn't- blame the child at all. Someone did not go through what had to be years of abuse and neglect without having the trust and hope stomped out of them. Perhaps even literally, in this case. Dr. Cotton had been right about there being more scars. 'Blue's bones were littered with them. Some were far too precise, seemingly medical, while others were scattered- both self-inflicted and not. 

It made him sick to his soul. 

He had never truly believed that others were entirely bad until now. How could someone be so horrid, as to do that to a child? As bad as it may seem, he was beyond grateful that Papyrus had been spared that life. He had a feeling that 'blue' had been the one to abandon his brother- for the better, too. 

He just wished he could've spared both of his sons from that life. 

 

 

The front door slammed open- Grillby jolted, the bowl he had been cleaning was thrown by accident, shattering against the floor. Shoot. There goes another one. Between himself and Papyrus, it was a wonder how they had any breakable bowls left, or why Grillby hadn't just replaced them all yet. 

" DAD- Did You Break Another Bowl?" Papyrus cut himself off, looking at the mess on the floor. Grillby chuckled sheepishly, grabbing the dustpan from underneath the sink. 

" It seems so. I think theres four breakable ones left" 

" Two Left, Actually! Remember When Undyne Came Over?" Papyrus corrected. The fire monster winced at the memory, Papyrus's friend was just as destructive as they were. At least when the two bowls were gone, there would be no more breakable bowls in the house. Grillby, once he was sure everything was cleaned up, dumped the remains into the garbage outside. 

Papyrus waited for him, rocking on his feet anxiously and clinging his backpack to his chest. 

" How was school?" 

" Great! I Got A High Grade On My English Test!" Papyrus exclaimed. Despite the confidence his son tried to show, he knew that his son's self confidence was much more fragile than it should be. 

" Great job, papyrus. I knew you could do it" He stated. His son was so smart, he couldn't be prouder. Papyrus beamed brighter at the praise.

" We Also Went To The Library! I Picked Out A Few Books That I Think Blue Will Like!" Papyrus held up his backpack filled with books to demonstrate the fact. 

" I do believe he will like that" Grillby said. He didn't know, really, but he wasn't going to not support Papyrus. " Do you want to go see?" 

" Yes!" He grinned, before he took off to dart up the stairs. Grillby was close behind, but paused in the doorway as he had learned to do. Still, he heard the familiar growl at his presence- the glowing blue eyelight focused on him in an almost feral manner. Had he never met Papyrus, he would've thought the surreal creature was a feral monster.

Grillby has lived in Snowdin many years, and with that came the knowledge of more animal-based monster's body language. Despite the aggressive act, Grillby knew the boy was terrified of him. No matter how long it would take, he would prove to the child he would never hurt him. 

Papyrus made a soft cooing sound, which eased his brother's aggression. After a moment of hesitation, the glow of his magic faded. Still, the blaster eyed him. The fire monster stayed in the doorway to not intrude any further. 

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

After settling in a comfortable position, Papyrus gave his brother's skull a comforting pet. 

" Look, I Brought Some Books! Do You Want To See?" He questioned.

Papyrus wanted to make up for all the years they hadn't been together. He wanted to make his brother happy, to relieve the burdens and fears that ate at the other's soul in any way he could. "Blue", still going by that name, seeing as he shared he didn't have one (other than some strange numbers?), was haunted by his past. Their past. 

It was no secret that his brother had been the one to leave him. Papyrus refused to think of it as 'abandonment' any longer. It was clear that his brother had felt he had to, to save him from their Guardians. Thinking about it filled him with soul crushing guilt. It wasn't fair he had a nice life, and warm clothes, and monsters who loved him, and that his brother didn't. 

None of it was fair, and he hated it. 

But his brother was with him now. He wasn't going to let his brother feel unloved, ever again. He promised that to the both of them. 

 

Blue eyed the books with caution, but hesitantly nodded. It wasn't the first time that he had read to his brother, but his brother was cautious about everything. Despite his caution, his older brother trusted him with any and all trust that remained inside of his soul. He would never betray that. He doubted Blue could... could live with that hurt. 

Papyrus grinned brightly, attempting to brush off the 'bad thoughts' as he picked the first book out of his bag. Adventures with Fluffy Bunny, his favorite series of children's books. He laid it down, so that they could both see the words and pictures. His brother didn't understand all the words, but that was okay! He'd just teach him! 

As he read, he noticed how the other would occasionally glance over to his dad, to make sure he didn't move any closer. It kind of bugged him that his dad didn't trust his brother. 

He had been listening through the door, when Doctor Cotton had said his brother was "dangerous" because of his LV. (That meant his brother had killed someone. It might be wrong, but he hoped it was the people who hurt his brother.) At the time, his dad had said nothing about how he didn't trust Blue, but it was obvious through his actions. Blue knew it too. It kind of hurt, that his dad had so little faith in his newly adopted son. 

Blue was... hurt in ways that he could never imagine. In ways he knew that the adults didn't see. 

 

Papyrus knew the day he met his brother what he wanted to do when he grew up. He was going to be in the Royal Guard, he was going to keep horrible monsters such as the ones who did this to his brother from doing it ever again. He was going to help others heal from their hurts. 

 

Papyrus would help his brother heal, because no one else could.


	5. Chapter 5

Blue was well enough to move, after another week of bed-rest. 

 

Now well enough to move, he lunged at Grillby whenever he entered the child's room alone. Papyrus sometimes was territorial over his things, but nothing like how his older brother was. Blue had only bit him once, but the injury had to be seen by a healer. Doctor Cotton insisted through the process that it "Wasn't safe" to keep his sons together. That Blue would be better off somewhere he could get help. 

Grillby knew, deep in his soul, that Blue was fragile. Being separated from his brother would do more harm than good. 

And, he understood the child's seemingly aggressive behaviors. Papyrus had said that Blue felt safe in that room, why would he not try to defend that rare feeling? It wasn't aggression, it was fear, that made him lash out. The only monster that Blue felt he could trust was his brother, they couldn't take that away from him. 

Grillby couldn't separate them, but that didn't mean he was the best guardian for them either. He wasn't prepared to take care of a child who couldn't trust, who needed help. But He would never give them up, either. 

He just couldn't help but feel stressed from the situation. 

 

\-------------------------  
\------------------------

 

Papyrus had a hard time sleeping. 

He felt restless. Unable to lie still, continually shifting positions. His bedroom door creaked open- a familiar round skull peaked in. His older brother did look very different from him in this form-- round features, large sockets, but he knew for a fact they were related. Their souls felt almost identical. 

" You Can't Sleep Either?" He questioned, as close to as whisper as he can manage. 

" no.... can i come in?" 'Blue' asked, as always. The softness of the other's words were another little difference between them. Papyrus nodded eagerly, scooting back into the wall to provide room on the bed. Quietly, always so quiet, Blue joined him. Their dad didn't know about their late night chats, he just wouldn't understand. Both of them struggled to sleep, from different causes, so it was nice to spend it in a way other than staring blankly at the ceiling. 

" Are You Okay?" Papyrus asked, concerned. His brother was always so tired, always so sad, he didn't really know how to help. Blue nodded as he snuggled in closer, not telling the truth. He wouldn't push, and instead, accepted the comforting warmth. 

The younger began to drift to sleep when Blue stirred again. 

" y-your.... 'dad'" his brother started, " is he.... does he.... has he hurt you?"

"No, Never. Our Dad Is A Good Monster. I Promise He'll Never Hurt You" 

Blue frowned slightly, unbelieving. Papyrus didn't blame him for that- if he hadn't been left, would he feel the same? Probably. 

" I.. I Know It's Hard, But, Maybe You Can Give Him A Chance?" 

Blue hesitated, before he gave a small nod. He'd try, if it made his brother happy. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cooking was always a good stress relief. 

Grillby and Papyrus were currently making dinner. A family favorite, spaghetti, his recipe- only a little less burnt so that it would be edible for his boys. Grillby had learned the hard way that monsters that weren't made of fire didn't have the taste for burnt things. The kitchen was light, a carefree mood settling over the both of them. 

He could almost forget the eyelights staring at them. 

It was another new habit of Blue's, after Papyrus had managed to convince him that he would be safe outside of the room. The blaster, (still in that form, he refused to shift. Or maybe he couldn't?), watched them interact from where ever he chose to hide. It was a good thing, though a bit unnerving. If he watched, he could learn that he didn't mean any harm. 

" Do you want to join us in the kitchen, Blue?" He offered as he continued to chop the fresh herbs. The fire monster always offered, though he didn't expect the skittish child to take it up. So he was fairly surprised when he heard the familiar click of bone hitting tile as the blaster crept into the kitchen- hiding underneath the table. The closest that the child had ever come near him willingly. 

That was.... a big jump in trust. 

Grillby glanced over to his son, understanding when he noticed the encouraging smile Papyrus offered to his brother. They must of talked... Blue clearly didn't trust him, but for his brother, it seemed he was willing to try. The blaster didn't move from underneath there, eating his plate of food from the plate on the floor. It was a bit odd, perhaps, but Papyrus had done the same. After Blue finished, he raced upstairs to hide as he usually did. 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------  
\--------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

1-s had agreed to give Grillby a chance, but that didn't mean he had to like it. 

He knew better than to trust monsters- better than to expect anything other than hurt from them. The fire monster hadn't hurt him or his brother, but it was only a matter of time. Everything would change, when the monsters found out what they were. The Doctor had made sure he knew very well what real monsters thought of them. 1-s and his brother would be returned, because they were weapons. Nothing more. 1-s would do his best to make sure they never found out the truth, but often his best was not enough. 

 

It'd been a few light cycles since he'd agreed to give 'Grillby' a chance. The monster was.... strange. Despite what he did, he never got angry at him. He didn't get mad despite his poking, he didn't get mad when 1-s spoke, and he hadn't been mad when he finally shifted forms in front of him. If anything, Grillby seemed... happy? 

He didn't get it. 

The Doctor told him.... He always said that monsters would hate them, fear them, but the monster hadn't done anything like that. He just didn't understand. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------  
\-----------------------------------------------

 

Blue was trying to get some sort of reaction out of Grillby. 

The child tested things out, tested out what would make him upset. He was trying to find what would make Grillby hurt him. It was horrid, that someone would ever expect to be hurt, even more so a child. There was the incident in which he'd woken up to find the trash can tipped over, the contents spilled over the kitchen floor. It had been something that Papyrus had done quite often as a pup, so it was far from the first time he'd cleaned trash from the floor. Blue hadn't expected him to be so calm about it, if how he stared at him in surprise meant anything. 

It was the more recent incident in which they finally bonded. 

 

 

It was the second time Papyrus had managed to convince his brother to sit at the table. Blue sat beside his brother, reading along with him. Papyrus's cup of milk was close to the edge of the table, almost knocked over when he flipped the page. 

" Please be careful of the cup" Grillby called out a gentle reminder. 

That expression came across Blue's skull, before he reached out for the cup. He held eye-contact as he shoved it off the table. Grillby couldn't help but chuckle, not at all what the child was expecting. 

" I suppose it's a good thing that those cups are not glass" He joked. 

" Yep, We Broke All Of Those. Don't Worry Dad! I'll Go Get A Towel!" Papyrus exclaimed, racing down the hall and retrieving a clean towel in record time. Grillby set the cup back onto the table as his son cleaned up the liquid- Papyrus was always so worried about him getting hurt, even if so little wouldn't do anything. 

"why..." 

Grillby jolted at the unfamiliar voice, did Blue just-? 

" why aren't you mad?" he questioned, frowning up at him.

"You didn't do anything bad" Grillby informed, in an attempt to sooth him. The child's eyelight lit up an eerie blue. 

" i knocked the cup off on purpose" Blue growled, " why don't you just get it over with? just hurt me already!" 

A heavy feeling weighed down his soul. He was horrified by the actions of whatever sick monster had hurt his sons, he was horrified that he expected to be hurt.

" No one deserves to be hurt."

Blue clearly didn't expect that answer. Tears welled up in his sockets, unable to meet his gaze any longer. Grillby reached out in an attempt to comfort, though the child flinched away at first, he soon leaned into the contact. He needed comfort, reassurance, just like any other child. Had he ever had that, before? It was too horrid to think about. 

 

 

If he had any say in it, his son would never be hurt again


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: self harm

It had been a few weeks, since Blue had agreed to give him a chance. 

 

Since accepting his comfort, the child's attitude about him had changed. He avoided him when Papyrus wasn't home, that was normal, but he no longer lunged at him. He shifted forms around him often, now. And, the biggest change, Blue now got close to him, where he'd never accepted that before. The changes were major- though the child was still very wary about him. Grillby would believe it if the child never was fully comfortable around others than his brother, he wouldn't blame Blue at all. 

 

There were a few other changes, too. Papyrus went to school daily, and Grillby had to return to the restaurant, but he couldn't leave Blue unsupervised. It had taken a while for Papyrus to convince his brother he'd still he safe if he left the house- that he was always safe, when they were together- but he had managed to do so. While Grillby worked, Blue stayed in the back. Most of the time he slept, still recovering from the sickness, but he was awake more and more. When the child was awake, he would entertain himself with the books forgotten back there. Every now and then he would go back to check in on him, just to be sure Blue was alright. 

 

It worked out nicely, for now. 

He wasn't sure when, or if, Blue would be able to go to school too. Blue might be a bit behind compared to others his age, but the child was a quick learner- Papyrus had taught him how to read in only a few days after all- so he wasn't worried about that. Having Blue around others was the issue. Grillby didn't know if he'd be able to be around so many, he had taken awhile to just get used to Grillby's presence. At least home schooling was always an option. 

 

Grillby shook himself from his thoughts, pausing in his sweeping to get a glance at the clock. Papyrus should be home soon. The fire monster just had to finish up cleaning for the day before they headed back home. It was Friday, the day he always closed up after lunch in order to spend more time with his son. Well, sons, now. 

The fire monster continued sweeping, fully aware of the eyelights that watched him from the doorway. Blue was impatiently waiting for him to be done, wanting to get back to his brother. 

" I'm almost done," he informed, listening to the scrape of boney claws on wood as Blue scampered away- unknown he'd been caught staring until the fire monster spoke up. Blue wasn't always as good at sneaking as he thought he was. 

It took another ten minutes before he finally finished the cleaning. After shrugging on his jacket, he called out for Blue- who cautiously padded out the door, glancing around as he always did. As if he expected to see someone. Grillby frowned at that. No one should have to live their life looking over their shoulder. His son had fled, but he could never get away from that fear. 

If the rotted soul who had hurt his sons ever showed, he would make sure they regret it. 

 

 

Once the blaster was sure they were in the clear, he stepped out into the snow. Grillby locked the door behind them, before he led the way home. A few monsters waved as they passed by, Blue pressed a bit closer to his legs, wary of their curious gazes. The first time he'd tried to bring Blue to the bar had been a disaster. Monsters were always eager to meet one another here, they had wanted to greet the new arrival-- to summarize it, he had barely prevented D-Bun from getting bit. 

Though they still stared, no one tried to approach the skeleton anymore. 

 

Grillby opened the door of their home, unlocked already, meaning Papyrus had beat them home this time. Blue shifted to his two-legged form, eager to go search for his brother, when he froze in the doorway leading to the kitchen. The fire monster frowned in concern, hurrying over to the small skeletons' side to face whatever might be in the kitchen. 

Papyrus sat at the table, but he wasn't alone. Undyne was over. 

The two were best friends, always around one another- except as of late. Papyrus wanted to stay home with his brother, meaning the two had had a lot less sleep overs than they normally did. Grillby had in all honesty expected her to break in, it wouldn't be the first time, though he preferred this method far more. It meant there was no glass to clean up. 

" Hello undyne. What brings you around?" He questioned, thinking over his conversations with Papyrus. Had he asked for a sleepover? Had he mentioned Undyne wanted to come over? Grillby couldn't recall, but at this point in the day he couldn't recall if he'd ate breakfast. 

" Undyne's Parents Had Extra Work! A Mini-Family Emergency, So She Has To Spend The Night Over Here!" Papyrus exclaimed, grinning. Undyne's parents were busy monsters, both being in the Royal Guard, so it wasn't the first time such a situation came around. The fire monster internally cringed. They didn't know about Blue yet, did they? Of course he wouldn't send her home, but he had to wonder if things would be okay between her and blue. 

As if fate knew his worries, Undyne's eyes landed on the smaller brother.

" Whoa! Is that your brother?!" 

Blue tensed at the attention, eyelight lighting up- ready to defend himself. Undyne, as expected, didn't care as she launched herself from the chair and came to stand in front of him. They sized each other up... stars, were they going to fight? Should he step in? 

" Wow, your eyes' pretty cool, are you blind in the one?" Undyne questioned, blunt as ever as she jabbed a finger toward the empty socket. Blue let out a soft growl as he backed away from her hand. 

" maybe. you wanna be blind in yours'?" He snapped back, scowling up at her. She laughed, not at all the response Blue was expecting. 

" You're just as cool as Papyrus said you were" She stated, further surprising him. He looked to Papyrus, who grinned brightly at their interaction. Blue's posture relaxed some at the sight of his brother, the tension defusing quickly. Grillby sighed in relief. He didn't want to explain to her parents that she got bitten by one of his sons. (Again.) 

 

The two both sat at the table, on either side of Papyrus- who gladly acted as the referee. Papyrus was always good at keeping the peace. It was peaceful, thankfully, as Undyne and Papyrus worked on their homework. Though they went to different schools, they were both doing the same work. While they worked, Grillby started on making dinner- a bit early, but when they were finished they would be hungry. 

Undyne finished first, rushing her work in her eagerness to get to play. Papyrus leaned over his work further, shielding it from her sight with his hand. He was very against cheating- until it came to math tests, at least. 

" Hey, blue" 

Blue looked up from reading Papyrus's homework over his shoulder. 

" Is that actually your name?" She asked. Grillby paused. He... He hadn't asked that, had he? He just- oh wow, he'd never asked for his name. 

Papyrus shook his head, " No, He Doesn't Have One! I Mean, Other Than Those Numbers, But He Says "Blue" Is Okay!" 

Numbers?

" I thought skeletons were supposed to have, like, font names" She raised a brow, unimpressed with the name choice. Blue shrugged, uncaring, while Papyrus gasped- never having thought of that. Which, somehow, led to the both of them listing off all the font names they knew(not a lot) in an attempt to get Blue to pick one. 

" UH- Something Text? Batang? Comic Sans?" 

At the last one, Blue snorted with laughter. They were taken back by the response- they'd never heard him laugh before.

" Comic Sans?" Papyrus repeated, once again earning a quiet giggle. It was a bit long, but so was the name "papyrus". It felt more like a real name than 'blue' did, anyhow. 

" just sans" he stated, smiling to himself at the little joke. 'Without', that was a bit morbid for a name, wasn't it? The children shared none of Grillby's apprehension towards the name- Papyrus's face lighting up brightly at the naming of his brother. Even Bl- Sans, seemed a bit more at ease with the name.

" So, B- Sans, When I'm Done With My Homework, Do You Want To Play With Us?" 

Sans hesitated, glancing over to Undyne, before he slowly nodded. Another big change in trust. He'd just have to keep an eye on them, to make sure nothing happened. 

 

And nothing bad did. Undyne was a bit too blunt, Sans was a bit too snappy, but Papyrus was the best referee- the perfect balance between the three of them. It was soul-warming, to get to see both his sons act like kids. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Gone were the days of Papyrus waking him up in the middle of the night, every single night. 

Not that it didn't happen sometimes still- everyone had bad dreams now and then- so it hadn't been too odd that he woke to an unusual sound. The sound of bone scraping wood, repetitively, and the bedroom door cracked open slightly. The hesitation wasn't odd either- some sort of instinct about entering. What was odd, was that it wasn't Papyrus standing in the doorway. 

Sans stood in the doorway, small fingers dug into the wood- his other hand in his mouth, biting down on it anxiously. Concern filled his soul as he sat up, reaching out to turn on the lamp on the nightstand before he approached the child.

" Are you alright, sans?" he questioned, concern growing when he noticed those small fangs dug into bone- some marrow staining his teeth. Sans didn't respond, empty sockets making an eerie sight. 

" We need to take care of that... we need to go to the bathroom, okay?" Grillby asked, making sure his voice was soft. The fire monster gently removed his hand from his mouth- wincing at how the wound looked, before he led the child to the restroom. He sat Sans down on the edge of the bath tub before he dug through the medical supplies, pulling out some ointment to clean the wounds, along with bandages. 

Once more he removed the other's hand from his mouth, holding it to make sure he didn't bite down on it again. 

" I need to roll up your sleeves, alright?" 

Sans didn't react. After a moment of hesitation, the fire monster rolled up his sleeves, grimacing at the sight. There were a lot more bites than the one on his hand- many looked several days old. A pang of guilt hit his soul- he hadn't noticed. He hadn't noticed his son was suffering. For far from the first time, he wondered if he was actually fit to be a parent. 

It was quiet as he rubbed the ointment in, quiet as he wrapped the injuries. Just when Grillby was going to talk once more, Sans finally spoke up. 

" you...." his voice was quiet, hardly a whisper, " you're not going to get rid of me, right?" 

His soul ached- gods, the world was unfair. His son didn't deserve this- he didn't deserve any of the pain, he didn't deserve to fear whether or not he'd be "kept". 

" p-please... i won't... i won't hurt anyone. i'll be good, please, please don't get rid of me. please don't send me back" Sans pleaded, tears welling in his sockets.

" You're not bad, Sans. I would never 'get rid of you'" Grillby assured. Sans shook his head, tears spilling down his skull. 

" i've hurt people. i-i'm bad- y-you're going to get rid of me, a-aren't you?" 

" No, Sans. Never. You're Not Bad. You're A Child Who Has Been Through Some Bad Things, But That Doesn't Make You Bad" Grillby stated, reaching out to comfort the child slowly. He flinched, as he always did, before he pressed into the fire monster- the slight pain from the tears soaking into his shirt was easily ignorable. 

They sat like that for awhile, the child desperate for comfort- for contact that didn't hurt. Grillby was more than happy to provide.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

It was a disaster. 

 

The feline monster paced at the end of the hospital bed, once again ignoring the nurses' advice on sitting still to avoid reopening the lacerations. 

It was a disaster. 

Dr Gaster laid motionless in the hospital bed, countless wires and IV's hooked up into both his soul and limbs. His co-workers were in varying states of injury, though their boss was by far in the worse condition. The Doctor had barely survived the accident, if it could be called that, barely kept alive by the medically induced coma- though there were no promises that he would ever come out of it. 

It was one of the worst disasters of his short career. 

The feline monster had started working (along with the rest of Gaster's team) around three years ago. The project was amazing- a living weapon, magic given sentience, built to fight in the upcoming war. The fault had been their's, not the weapons. It was animal-minded, it was trained to fight, of course it would strike when given the opportunity. The scientists had gotten far too comfortable with it- assumed that it was far more tamed than the creature truly was. 

The worst part of it, was that they couldn't get it back without the Doctor. 

The blaster was a dangerous beast. It was fully capable of dusting them, without the Doctor's magic keeping it under control. Which left them in a bad position. They had told the Royal Guard to be on the look-out, but to not approach, so that they'd find the creature faster the moment Gaster woke. If it attacked someone- if it killed someone- they would have to go after it, regardless of whether or not Gaster was awake. 

It was terrifying to think he might have to face it in battle. 

The feline monster just hoped that Gaster would wake before something terrible happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha oh it's been a lot longer than i'd thought it'd been since i last update
> 
> in other news, heres the new chapter!

A sweet aroma filled the air.

It was breakfast time now- and today, Grillby wasn't the only one cooking. Both of his sons had very eagerly offered assistance in the kitchen. Papyrus had pulled two chairs over for the two of them to stand on, and was currently attempting to pour a perfect circle on the pan, while Sans attempted to sneak more blueberries into the pancake mix- and into his mouth. But despite the seemingly light mood, an underlying tension ran through them all. 

Today, Sans would be questioned by the Royal Guard. 

It was... something that had been long planned. From the very first day the child had came into his care all those months ago, but there had never seemed to be a correct time. The fire monster was certain that if they had asked any time before now, they would've caused far more problems than they would've solved. But it been quite some time- enough that Sans had timidly agreed to answer questions, long as they promised to not "hate him." 

Grillby had assured him that such a thing was impossible. 

But that didn't mean they weren't anxious, and all for their own reasons. Grillby was desperate to find who was responsible for the pain these children, his sons, had gone through. Papyrus was scared that his brother would get in trouble for something that hadn't been his fault, and that they'd be separated again. Sans was frightened of that, too- along with the idea of what he had done being bad enough for them to no longer want him. 

 

 

" Does It Matter When You Put The Blueberries In? Could You Put Anything In A Pancake?" Papyrus questioned, gaining his attention. It was far from the first time they made pancakes, but that didn't mean he wasn't still curious. 

" like rocks" sans supplied, " though how that'd turn out is rocky" 

Papyrus sighed dramatically at the joke, earning an amused grin from his brother. Grillby smiled at them, soul easing with relief. It was sweet to see them act like this, play-bickering as all siblings did. 

" Ugh, No, Your Teeth Would Get Cracked! Hm...." Papyrus trailed off in thought, thinking of possible things to try in the breakfast food. Grillby hoped he didn't think of anything too bad. The last kitchen experiment had been mixing orange juice and milk- a disaster, in kind words. 

" Undyne Said Her Parents Use Chocolate, But That Sounds Nasty!" 

He chuckled at the exclamation. The boys, being part canine, became just as sick as the Dogi did if they ate chocolate. It wasn't as toxic as it was for surface canines- but it still could make them very ill. Grillby and Papyrus had, unfortunately, discovered that the hard way. Sans himself had never tasted it, but believed whole-heartedly that the food was as disgusting as his brother always claimed it to be. It was hilarious. 

" You might be able to put peaches in them" Grillby offered his own suggestion as he moved the completed pancakes from the pan and onto a plate. There was only a small amount of batter left, now. Papyrus attempted to make the remaining batter into a pancake in the shape of his face- it tore when sans flipped it too early. Unperturbed, he claimed he'd make a better one, next time! 

Once the last pancake had been plated, Grillby headed to the table- walking slowly as to not trip over the blasters who darted between his legs. As always, the children ate underneath the comfort of the table. The tension felt... eased a bit, now. He smiled fondly, soul relaxing.

 

He knew that the questioning, though tough, would turn out for the better. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It was around midday when the foreboding knock sounded on the door. 

 

The anxiety was back at full-force- Sans darting behind the couch. Grillby went to comfort him, rather than answer it right away. 

" It'll be okay, sans. Nothing bad will happen. I promise, with all my soul, you won't be in trouble, and you don't have to answer anything you don't want to. I am going to go answer the door now, are you alright with that?"

He hesitated, before eventually nodding. The fire monster smiled at him in a comforting manner before he got up and went to answer the door. Dogamy and Dogressa greeted him, tails wagging as they entered the home. The two took a seat on the small couch, Grillby sitting across from them. They chatted about small things while they waited for the small skeleton to get comfortable with their presence. Eventually, slowly but surely, the blaster crept out- shifting form to be able to hide behind Grillby's leg. 

Dogressa gave him a gentle smile, " Hello, I'm Dogressa, and this is my husband, Dogamy. Did your dad tell you why we're here?" 

Sans nodded, holding onto his leg tighter. 

" You're not in trouble, pup. You didn't do anything wrong" 

"...i-i did...i hurt things, a-and people..." 

" We know, pup. But did you-" she hesitated, realizing mid-sentence that she wouldn't know what to say, if he confessed to liking it sometimes. 

" You didn't have a choice. No one blames you, okay? We're here to help, and to make sure who hurt you and your brother can never hurt someone else" Dogamy spoke. Sans hesitated again before he nodded his understanding. 

" I.. I suppose the first question would be, is the person who hurt you... are they still alive?" 

It was a fair question- the couldn't tell whether or not the LV was fresh. If... if he had killed those who had hurt him to escape, then there was very little they could do justice-wise. Grillby frowned at the nervous expression- how his eyelights flicked around as if afraid someone was listening. 

He shook his head, "i... i attacked the doctors... but i don't think they... my, um, 'LV' didn't g-get any higher." 

Doctors. They had suspected some sort of medical abuse- as most of the scars were too neat, too surgical, to be otherwise. But for there to be multiple... The dark picture grew darker. And, Papyrus had mentioned something about 'numbers', hadn't he? Maybe.... maybe they were searching for a certain type of "Doctor." There were plenty of scientists in the Underground- but maybe the numbers could help them narrow it down. 

Grillby glanced to them, wondering if they were on a similar page. He couldn't tell- so he decided to question it instead.

" Papyrus mentioned that you had a 'name' before?" 

Sans winced, now tightly grasping his own arm. The Dogi looked curious, meaning he'd forgotten to mention it to them. Shoot. 

" Can you tell us it?" He asked. Sans frowned, shifting uncomfortably, internally debating with himself whether or not to do so. Instead of responding verbally, his son settled on rolling up the sleeve of his shirt- up until his humerus was revealed. 

At the sight of it, Grillby felt his soul stutter in horror. 

On the child's humerus, a metal plate was drilled- DRILLED- into the bone. Carved in the metal was a string of numbers, most of it meaningless to them- except for the claiming initials. 

W.D.G. 

That... seemed vaguely familiar. The fire monster couldn't piece it together, but perhaps the Dogi would be able to. 

" Sans, is it alright if I come closer to see it better?" Dogressa questioned, a notepad held in her paw. Once he agreed, she came over, kneeling a fair distance away, as to not make him uncomfortable, to write down the numbers. When she returned to her seat, the child relaxed with an audible sigh of relief. He finally climbed onto the couch beside him, anxiously grabbing onto his shirt now. The fire monster reached out- sans flinching reflexively before pressing into the touch. 

It looked like he was over-stimulated.... " Do you want to go upstairs, sans?" 

Sans nodded- shifting forms as he threw himself off the couch, disappearing up the steps before anyone could even attempt to say otherwise. There was no doubt that he'd be hiding underneath the bed until Papyrus returned. 

 

 

 

At the concerned whines, Grillby attempted to offer them a smile. It was probably more of a grimace- he was still shaken to his core, seeing that metal plate. He knew they were too, if how their fur was still raised meant anything. 

" He will be alright... he was just overwhelmed" he explained, to ease their worries. That had been a far, far better reaction than was normally received-- Sans tended to lash out, though not with any true intent to harm. 

" The poor pup..." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck to flatten the fur. The Dogi got to their feet, following him over to the door before Dogressa turned to him, setting a paw on his shoulder. 

" We'll find these Doctors, I promise you. This W.D.G won't hurt anyone else. Take care of the pups! We'll be seeing you around!" 

 

Soon the Dogi were gone, leaving him in the quiet home. While they hadn't gotten to ask many questions, they did get plenty of information. The most important thing was the lead they had gotten- undoubtedly, the guard would start the search on the owner of the initials. 

 

 

Soon, the soulless bastard would meet justice.


End file.
